The ElvisNews Review

In their “extended original album”-series FTD just came up with one of, if not the best Elvis albums: Elvis Is Back! Does it fulfill the expectations?
Design
As we are used to by now the artwork is fantastic. The 7” format is a golden concept. The booklet is beautiful, with nice publicity shots and memorabilia. The most remarkable thing is that the CDs do not carry the famous his master’s voice logo, while the print on the cover does. The information is much better than with “common” FTD releases, with extended take information and even the musicians are acknowledged.
Content
The two CDs are filled as follows: the original album, the singles and first takes are on the first CD. The second CD is divided between the March and April sessions. To the collectors this is the most interesting one, since it carries many unreleased takes. The sound is crystal clear – but still the 24 Karat Gold versions sounds better. We have to admit that we are not sure this is really the case, nostalgia might be causing this. In other words, the sound is about perfect. Of course some of the takes were available on bootleg, but they can’t compete with this release.
Surely the songs are all well known and the inspiration Elvis had during these sessions makes nearly every take perfect to our ears. Often we wonder why more takes were needed. The combination of inspiration and the relaxed way Elvis worked makes CD 2 a real gem.
Conclusion
No review does justice to this release, that’s why we kept it this short. You have to buy it and we’re sure you’ll enjoy it from the first to the last second… 157 minutes (!) of pure art. We bet this release will climb up in the FTD Top 20 quickly.
Track listing:
Disc 1
From the Original Album Release:
Make Me Know It / Fever / The Girl Of My Best Friend /I Will Be Home Again / Dirty, Dirty Feeling / The Thrill Of You Love / Soldier Boy / Such A Night / It Feels So Right / Girl Next Door Went A’Walking / Like A Baby / Reconsider Baby /
The Original Singles Released from the Sessions:
Stuck On You / Fame And Fortune / It’s Now Or Never / A Mess Of Blues / Are You Lonesome Tonight? / I Gotta Know (including Take 1*) / Alternate Takes: Make Me Know It (Take 1) / Fever (Take 1) / The Girl Of My Best Friend (Take 3) / Soldier Boy (Take 1) / Such a Night (Take 1) / It Feels So Right (Take 1) / Stuck on You (Take 1) / Fame And Fortune (Take 2) / It’s Now Or Never (Take 1) / Are You Lonesome Tonight (Takes 1,2)
Disc 2
The March Session:
Make Me Know It (Take 3) / Make Me Know It (Takes 9*,10*,11) / Make Me Know It (Takes 17,18) / Soldier Boy (Takes 2*,3*,7) / Soldier Boy (Takes 9*,10) / Stuck On You (Takes 1-FS, 2) / Fame And Fortune (Takes 4*,5) / A Mess Of Blues (Take 1) / A Mess Of Blues (Takes 2*,3*) / It Feels So Right (Take 2) / It Feels So Right (Takes 4*,3) / The April Session: Fever (Takes 2*,3*-“f---” at end taken out) /Like A Baby (Take 1-FS/BD*) / Like A Baby (Take 2) / Like A Baby (Takes 3,4*) / It’s Now Or Never (Take 2) / It’s Now or Never (Takes 3,4*) / Girl Of My Best Friend (Takes 2*,4*,5*,6) / Girl Of My Best Friend (Take 9) / Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Take 1) / Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Takes 2*,3*-sp last chord from 4/m) / Thrill Of Your Love (Takes 1,2*,1-PB) / Such A Night (Takes 2,3,4*/5-sp) / Girl Next Door Went A’Walking (Takes 1,2,3) / Are You Lonesome Tonight (Takes 4*-FS,3*, wp 1/2-sp*)
(An * indicates previously unreleased take).

His best studio album ever and one of the ebst albums of all time ! Just listen to the sound, even on the original LP. It's just mindblowing and perfectly produced. The performances are all top and so is this FTD-release which gives a great view into the sessions and how Elvis worked to produce this album. I really can't say enough about this record and it's marvellous sound.

I agree with Techy_Viola, "Elvis Is Back" has some lackluster songs as stated, but the classics like "Reconsider Baby" and "Girl Of My Best Friend" make up for the bunch. That being said, this is not his best album... I'd take "Pot Luck" or "Something For Everyone" over this LP/CD anytime, however no album from Elvis is a bad album so it still gets a four star rating from me.

This is the long-awaited, expanded version of the Elvis album classic, "Elvis Is Back" courtesy of not of the mainstream RCA label, but instead the specialist FTD imprint and in a handsome oversize "extended-play" style, foldout digipak.There are outtakes galore, giving a fan a bird's eye view of these 1960 gems-in-the-making. Sure, there's some overlap with previously-available outtakes (such as from "Legendary Performer, Vol. 2" and "Platinum," etc.) but really, it's great to have the takes "reunited" in one spot. It's a pity, really, that they couldn't have shelved "Love, Elvis" or "Ultimate Gospel" in favor of putting this stellar release in regular record shops. We really need to continue to bolster Elvis' critical legacy by having this sort of thing available to the casual fan. There are pages of vintage photos in the booklet, but one does wish new (or even old) notes could have been included. But, alas, this is FTD. (And you're left with another reason to hang on to the '99 version of EIB with Colin Escott's notes...) The sound seems fine by me, although some have quibbled about the need for DSD. These ears say it's fine. Buy without hesitation! And EPE will hook you up with this 2-CD set for only a single-CD price via their website. Run, don't walk!

Half a dozen duds - Dirty Dirty Feeling, Soldier Boy, Girl Next Door..., The Thrill Of Your Love, Make Me Know It and Stuck On You but somehow Elvis makes even this third rate stuff listenable. However, it must be five stars for anything with Reconsider Baby, A Mess f Blues, Like A Baby, Girl of My Best Friend, Its Now Or Never, Are You Lonesome Tonight, It Feels So Right and I will Be Home Again (an under rated gem) and Fame& Fortune. Actually it would have been six stars out of five if the mastering had been better!